Avatar: The Last Writer Competition
by foolofatook001
Summary: Submissions for the Avatar: The Last Writer Competition, by BetterYouThanMe! Various characters and themes, but some definite Zutara, among other things.
1. Hunting Party

**A/N:** Mock Round! For the Avatar: The Last Writer Competition

 **Team:** Water Tribe

 **Category:** Drabble

 **Prompt:** #1 - Cow-Hippo

 **Word Count:** 406 (not counting A/N, of course :)

* * *

"What _is_ that?"

"It's huge! You think it's edible?"

"I don't think you'd be able to catch it."

"WELL, I CAN TRY!"

Zuko scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Please. I know you _think_ you're this great hunter, but our food supplies over the last three days say otherwise."

"Which is exactly why we need this!" Sokka protested in a whisper, eyes fixed on the massive creature peacefully grazing in the clearing. "Cow-hippo meat is the best thing in the _world!_ "

Zuko's only reaction was to raise an eyebrow. "You'll eat anything."

"No, I really mean it! It's fantastic!"

Zuko paused, considering. Then, "Aang won't eat it. And we'd have to lug the whole thing back ourselves."

Sokka pouted. "You are no fun."

"I'm only being practical," Zuko pointed out reasonably.

Sokka hated it when other people were reasonable and acted like _he_ wasn't. "Well, maybe I'll just catch it myself. Wait wait wait wait _wait_ \- if _I_ catch it, _you_ have to bring it back to the Air Temple!"

"Isn't that a little… sacrilegious?" Zuko asked, straight-faced. When Sokka glared at him, he shrugged. "Fine. Deal."

"You, my friend, are going to regret this," Sokka cackled as he readied his boomerang. Zuko rolled his eyes.

Painstakingly, Sokka moved himself into the optimal position to strike. He took careful aim, squinting down the length of his arm, took a deep breath to steady himself, released the boomerang -

And missed.

Sokka was _not_ going to look back and see the smug expression he _knew_ was on Zuko's face at the moment. He was more concerned with the fact that his boomerang had got caught in the trees opposite the clearing - and the fact that the cow-hippo was no longer grazing peacefully.

The massive black and white-spotted head raised into the air. The gargantuan nostrils flared, once, twice. Then the cow-hippo opened its cavernous mouth - revealing teeth that were at least as big as Sokka's fist - and let out a deafening bellow.

"Sokka…" Zuko started nervously, for once neither angry nor sarcastic. "I think we should leave it alone."

"Yeah…" Sokka agreed, swallowing. Then, in perfect unison, the two boys turned and ran the opposite direction.

o0o

"Zuko!" came the wail later that night.

"What?" the firebender demanded, grumpily.

"I left my boomerang in the forest with the cow-hippo!"

"I am _not_ going back to get it," Zuko said firmly, and tucked himself deeper into his sleeping bag.

* * *

 **Other A/N:** Duuuuude I am so excited for this competition! I've never done anything like this before and I know this isn't a real round but THIS IS SO FUN!


	2. The Long Search

**A/N** : Mock Round pt II

 **Team:** Water Tribe

 **Category:** Themed - Discovery

 **Prompt:** #6 - North Pole

 **Word Count:** 923

* * *

"Come on, Pakku!" Turak called from the end of the snowy street, stopping to glare back at his friend. "We're going to be late for lessons!"

"Give me a second!" Pakku yelled back, breaking into a run as he fastened his parka at the same time. Fumbling with the last catch, he looked down to fix it, stepped on a patch of ice, and slid at least three yards down the street, only stopped by a very solid _someone_ who promptly fell on top of him.

"OW!" Pakku shouted as the person landed on his knees. His legs were scraped and stinging, and his pride was badly bruised as well.

The girl that had served as his brake scrambled to her feet, glaring at him. "Excuse you!" she snapped.

Pakku blinked.

She was gorgeous, with dark brown hair in a long braid tossed over one shoulder, and sea-blue eyes that were currently narrowed in irritation.

"H-hi," he stammered, looking up at her. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Turak jogging toward them.

"Watch where you're going next time," the girl told him, crossing her arms over her chest.

He could only nod as she turned on her heel and stalked away.

"Who was that?" Turak asked, also staring after the girl.

Pakku shook his head. "I don't know, but I am _definitely_ going to find out."

o0o

It became his mission for the next three weeks: find the mystery girl and (possibly) get his parents to talk to her parents and arrange something to get them together. Preferably marriage. His parents already had been talking about finding him a wife, but they had said he might get some input in the matter.

Thus his frantic search for the girl's identity.

She couldn't be a waterbender, he knew that much - while he didn't train with the girls, all the waterbenders ate lunch together and he'd never seen her there. And he'd been looking, these last few weeks. So she was just some ordinary resident of the North Pole, which made his mission _significantly_ harder.

He'd enlisted the help of Turak, since he'd actually _seen_ The Girl; and Turak had enlisted the help of his sister, Norah, and his fiance, Denari (Turak's parents had had one of those "before they were out of the cradle they were destined to join our families" agreements with another prominent family), to find The Girl as well. Between them, Pakku figured they had the North Pole pretty well covered.

Four weeks had gone by since he'd ran into The Girl and his confidence, so strong, was beginning to fade. Maybe she didn't live at the North Pole. Maybe she was just visiting. And, to make matters worse, Pakku's parents had informed him that they had found a quite suitable girl for him and were speaking to her parents about a betrothal arrangement.

He had to find her.

o0o

"It's been over a _month_ , Turak," Pakku complained on the way home from waterbending practice. "Where in the name of Tui and La could she be?"

Turak rolled his eyes. He'd grown tired of Pakku's "obsessive" behavior (Pakku didn't see anything wrong with it) and now only barely tolerated any mention of the mysterious girl.

"Maybe you just aren't looking hard enough," he said in a bored voice, which was his default any time The Girl _was_ brought up in conversation.

"Over a month!" Pakku repeated, ignoring him.

"Maybe she doesn't _want_ to be found," Turak suggested. Pakku glared at him.

"A girl like that is too amazing to stay hidden," he insisted, stubbornly. "Her… her _personality_ wouldn't allow it!"

"Who cares about a girl's personality?" Turak asked, rolling his eyes. "Besides, you talked to her, what, once? How do you get any idea of what her personality's like?"

"I'm not speaking to you anymore," Pakku announced, marching ahead of his friend.

o0o

"But Father!" Pakku protested, on hearing that the family had agreed to let their daughter be betrothed to him. "I know this other girl - and she's a good fit - and I actually like her - "

"Pakku," his father replied sternly, "you have been unable to tell me who this girl actually is, and so she has been put out of the running. Kanna's family is a good, respectable family, and Kanna is a good, respectable girl. By all accounts, she's very intelligent - although," he added, with a slight tone of resignation, "she is not a waterbender. She will be an excellent wife for you."

 _But I don't want Kanna to be my wife,_ Pakku protested silently as they made their way through the icy streets to his new fiance's house. _I want The Girl._

o0o

Kanna, who had yet to present herself, had three younger sisters and one younger brother. Pakku recognized the brother from waterbending training; he was in one of the lower classes. All the girls looked alike, with black hair that they'd clearly gotten from their father (a stocky, jovial man) and grey eyes that just as clearly belonged to their mother (a quiet and meek woman with dark brown hair. Pakku barely noticed her).

"Kanna!" her father called, after ten minutes had passed since their arrival and she _still_ had not appeared. "Come down!"

"I'm _coming_ , Father!" a girl's muffled voice yelled back.

Five minutes after that, Pakku heard footsteps coming down the stairs - Kanna, presumably. He decided not to give her the satisfaction of a dramatic entrance and didn't look up until she entered the room.

His mouth fell open.

It was The Girl.


	3. He's Taken, Sweetheart

**A/N** : Round One

 **Team:** Water Tribe

 **Category:** Themed - Betrayal

 **Prompt:** Jazz (1920s AU!)

 **Word Count:** 1679

* * *

He was a Fire Nation boy. She was a Water Tribe girl. It was a betrayal of both their cultures, of their families, of everything they'd ever been taught and told.

o0o

"You sure about this, Kali?" asked Katara, looking doubtfully at the short dress her friend was holding up. It had fringed, multi-colored layers that shook as Kali lifted it higher and looked like it would barely go past her knees. Gran-Gran would have a heart attack if she knew Katara was even looking at it.

"Of course I'm sure!" Kali shot back. "You'll look fantastic. Besides, you can't go out to the club in _that_ ," she added with a disparaging look at Katara's current outfit, a sensible blue dress and comfortable black shoes.

Katara shifted uncomfortably. "It's so… short," she argued, somewhat lamely. She was sorely tempted to wear it, especially since Kali had been regaling her with stories of what she got up to every Friday night with her pack of city girls. When Kali had written several months after leaving the South Pole for Ba Sing Se, Katara had begged Gran-Gran and her father to let her go. They had grudgingly agreed (although if they had known Kali had become one of the 'flappers,' as they were called, they wouldn't have) as long as Sokka went along with her. Sokka had agreed, and so there she was, getting ready to go out to Kali's favorite club, the Jasmine Dragon, which apparently had this new thing called "jazz." Kali said it was the best sort of dance music one could find, and Katara wanted to hear it for herself. But Kali had insisted on getting "gussied up" and had dragged Katara into it as well.

"Here, try these on," Kali said now, holding out a pair of high-heeled shoes. Katara stared at her.

"You dance in _those_? How do you even walk?" she asked.

"Practice," Kali replied succinctly, whipping off her dressing gown so she was clad only in a shift. Katara blushed on her friend's behalf. "Come on, just put the dress on already!" Kali added impatiently, pulling a tight, deep purple dress over her head. "Or if you're just going to stand there, at least be helpful and grab my hat," she continued, fastening a bracelet of whalebone around her wrist. Katara grabbed the hat that was on Kali's nightstand and handed to her.

"Thank you," said Kali, setting it on her head at a daring angle. "Now really, get dressed!"

o0o

"Where are we playing tonight, uncle?" asked Zuko, hurrying after him down the crowded street.

"The Jasmine Dragon," Iroh replied, scanning signs as he went. "They're the new club that opened on Pearl Street."

"Pearl Street? In the Water Tribe section?" Zuko didn't try to hide his disgust. Even though he now lived in the Earth Kingdom, he had retained the Fire Nation's sense of superiority to the other nations - and the Water Tribe was the worst.

"They are paying us," his uncle replied, giving him a stern look. "I will not hear any disrespect out of you while we are there."

"Yes, uncle," he grumbled.

"Ah! Here we are!" Iroh announced a few minutes later, stopping in front of a run-down building with boarded-up windows. Stepping into the alley just to the left of the building, Iroh glanced furtively up and down, then knocked on a side door. It opened a fraction.

"Who is it?" asked a man's rough voice.

"The Traveling Dragons," Iroh said in a low tone. "Music for tonight."

"Password?" the man asked.

"White jade."

The door opened, letting warm light into the alley. "This way, please," said the man, who was a burly-looking fellow (probably an earthbender, thought Zuko). They stepped through the door and into the Jasmine Dragon.

The door shut with a resounding thud behind them.

o0o

The Jasmine Dragon was surprisingly warm and relaxed for a club that took such stringent measures to get into, Katara thought, gazing around at the laughing faces and the bright jewelry and colorful hats that adorned most of them. There wasn't any music playing yet, but the dull roar of conversation of the dozens of people there was more than enough to fill the space. Velvet drapes covered the windows. Plushy couches crouched in corners, often occupied with couples - who were occupied themselves. Katara glanced away quickly. Kali just laughed at her and pulled her towards a table near the edge of the dance floor, sitting down.

"That boy keeps looking at you," she giggled, pointing covertly to a young Earth Kingdom man with a ridiculous mustache. Katara looked away quickly.

"Oh no," she said as he began making his way toward them. "I don't want to talk to him!"

"Relax," Kali drawled, lounging back in her seat. "The music's about to come on, and then I'll sweep you off onto the dance floor before he knows what happened."

"Thank you," Katara said, daring a small grin at her friend. Kali laughed.

"That's my girl!" she grinned back.

A spontaneous round of applause made Katara look up toward the stage, startled; the musicians had come out. They didn't look like players of the hottest new thing, just an older man and a young man who looked like his son, but Kali leaned forward expectantly. "Oooh, it's the Traveling Dragons!" she exclaimed. "I've heard they're fantastic - and that saxophone player isn't too hard on the eyes, either," she added, slyly nudging Katara with an elbow. Katara nodded without thinking, eyes on the young man, who was now pulling out a shiny gold instrument from a case.

The old man began playing some random notes, warming up, and the young man followed suit. An Earth Kingdom man was sitting at a drum set behind them, idly twirling his drumsticks. They paused, and then the old man blew a high, brassy note into his trumpet, and launched into a wild melody that instantly had Katara tapping her feet and smiling.

Kali gave her a triumphant grin. "Let's go!" she said, grabbing Katara's hands and pulling her onto the dance floor.

o0o

Zuko was rather distracted, and he was annoyed with himself for being distracted, because it was a pair of Water Tribe girls, of all things, that were distracting him. They'd been the first ones on the dance floor and they hadn't left yet. One in particular kept catching his eye - the way she spun with abandon during Iroh's solo, or her look of impish joy on her face as she danced with her friend. It was fascinating. Her looks didn't hurt either - she wore her long brown hair down (uncommon in the city - most girls had adopted the 'bob') and she wore a fringed dress that put the casual observer in mind of a waterfall.

He resolved to talk to her, if she was still around after they finished the set and the next band came on.

o0o

Katara was sitting back at the table with Kali, out of breath, hot, and completely enjoying herself. "And you do this _every_ Friday?" she asked breathlessly to a laughing Kali.

"Pretty much," Kali replied, gazing toward the bar. Then she jerked her head around. "Don't look now, but that boy from the band is coming over here."

"He is _not_ ," Katara said, instantly turning bright red and resolutely holding still.

"No, really - look now!" Kali insisted. Katara risked a quick glance over her shoulder and saw the dark-haired saxophone player making his way toward their table.

"He's coming for _you_ ," Katara said at the same time as Kali. They both dissolved into giggles.

"Hello," said the young man's nervous voice, behind them. Katara turned to see him running a hand through his already-unruly hair. "Um… would you like to dance with me?"

Katara's brain shut down. He was a Fire Nation boy. They were snobs. They were bad news. But this one was very, _very_ handsome - and asking her to dance.

"Yes, she'd love to," Kali said, snatching up Katara's hand and putting it into the boy's. _Go on_ , she mouthed, as the young Fire Nation man led Katara onto the dance floor.

o0o

She shyly told him where she was staying with her friend at the end of the night, and he memorized it on his way home, repeating it to himself over and over. He'd have to visit her, see her again.

"Are we playing here next week, uncle?" he asked.

"Yes," Iroh said, and his look was a knowing one. "But may I remind you, nephew, that you were promised to Miss Mai? I understand that you are miles away from the Fire Nation, and she was a very pretty girl, but a man must honor his obligations."

Zuko's heart sank. Right. Mai. He'd forgotten her. The Fire Nation still arranged marriages, and his had been arranged since he and the girl in question were barely two. This was definitely the prior claim.

Iroh was watching this range of emotions go across Zuko's face with sympathy. "You'll have to talk to that girl," he said.

"I know, uncle." But that didn't mean it was going to be easy.

o0o

 _It could never have worked anyway. Good night, Katara._

Betrayal. This was what it felt like. He'd raised her hopes so high, only to crush them the very next week.

She'd come to the Jasmine Dragon again the week after she'd danced with Zuko all night, and had been ecstatic to see him again; his expression, on the other hand, had been anything but. He'd coldly informed her that he didn't want to see her again and that it would be best if she stayed away - in fact, he was engaged to be married, so they probably shouldn't talk any longer.

Like she was a loose woman or something. Like she'd been the one to ask him to dance. Like she'd been trying to lure him away.

Kali was furious on her behalf, and threatened to beat him up, but Katara talked her down.

"It doesn't matter," she said dully. "He was lying, and I was stupid."


	4. Well-Designed

**A/N:** Round One

 **Team:** Water Tribe

 **Category:** Drabble

 **Prompt:** The Western Air Temple

 **Word Count:** 251

* * *

"I think you're doing it wrong," said Aang, rubbing a hand over his bald head, a perplexed look on his face.

"Yeah," Teo chimed in. "Isn't the blue one supposed to go there, and the yellow one over there? It's like the four elements, right?"

Sokka threw his hands up in the air. "Can't a guy try to fix a fountain in peace? All I'm trying to do is make this place _liveable_!"

"You know, Katara or I could just bend the water up through the pipes," Aang pointed out. Sokka glared at him.

"You can't use bending to solve every problem!" he snapped, then went back to tinkering with the fountain in the center of the open courtyard.

"I don't know," said Teo, thoughtfully. "There's some problems that couldn't be solved _without_ bending… Like getting here, for instance. It would be difficult if you weren't an airbender or had a sky bison; or an earthbender who could bend some stairs or sense where it was in the first place. Firebenders by themselves would have a hard time getting down here, and waterbenders - well, I guess they could make ice slides or something, but you'd have to be a pretty powerful bender."

"So what you're saying," Aang interjected with a wide grin, "is that the Air Nomads were geniuses, right?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Teo replied, grinning back.

Behind them, Sokka pretended to vomit as he switched the blue stone and the yellow stone in their places in the fountain's base.


	5. The Never-Ending Dance

**A/N:** Round Two

 **Team:** Water Tribe

 **Category:** Drabble

 **Prompt:** Spirit

 **Word Count:** 585

* * *

 _This is the way it has to be_ , Tui said, her voice gentle in La's head.

 _That doesn't mean I have to like it,_ La replied brokenly.

 _My life and energy is mine to give_ , she reminded him.

 _But you're leaving me._

 _La, my love, I will return. Do not forget your role. Control your temper. And do not -_ Suddenly, she was snatched out of the pool. La writhed in an agony of inaction, knowing he had to let Tui sacrifice herself.

And then he felt her life leave the mortal and spirit worlds and the absence left him gasping. _Tui!_ he cried.

There was no gentle answer in reply.

A sudden, overwhelming rage swept over him - but it wasn't his. It was another's, a strong presence he had not felt in a very long time.

It was the rage of the Avatar.

The airbender leapt into the pool where La had frozen in place, struck by the loss of Tui and surprised by the depth of determination within the Avatar. He felt the Avatar's spirit reach out to him and a part of him that had been sleeping for a long, long time began to wake.

La, in tandem with the Avatar and his own anger growing, began to shed his mortal form, growing, growing, feeling the surge and swell of the waves, sensing the intruders in his waters. He reached out and reached through the Avatar, rising up out of the Spirit Oasis that had been his home - his and Tui's home - for so long. They were one now, he and the Avatar, and together they would wreak vengeance for the death of Tui on all of Agni's children that they could.

They felt the ships, still bombarding the city from the harbor, and turned toward them. As they turned, they saw the girl, the girl with the white hair, the one with the remnant of Tui's spirit, lying on the ground beside the pool. They slipped a train of thought into the old Fire Nation general's mind (he had been touched before, they could tell) and then strode out into the city, sweeping away the Fire Nation filth that was infesting the city.

But even in his righteous anger, La felt the exact moment when Tui returned. She was different, but she was there. He turned back toward the Spirit Oasis, slowly releasing the Avatar. La began to shrink as they return, but then he saw the one. The murderer of Tui. Without another thought, he whipped out a tendril and seized the murderer. The death of a spirit could not go unpunished. He heard the young one - _Now there is one touched by destiny,_ he thought - trying to help the general, honorable even when it was his enemy that was dying, but La would not allow him to move. The Ocean did not forget. Nor did it forgive.

By the time La returned to the Spirit Oasis, his anger was spent, and he was ready to rejoin the Spirit World.

 _La?_ asked a young woman's voice, unsure, yet till containing echoes of _her_.

 _I'm back, little one,_ he told her, keeping his voice gentle. _You have taken on a great burden_.

 _I know_ , she replied, sadly.

 _You are brave,_ he said, with respect. _I will teach you our dance, and you will be the new spirit of the Moon._

 _I am honored, La_ , she said.

 _I am grateful,_ he replied. _It is not right when the world is out of balance._


	6. Recovery

**A/N:** Round Two

 **Team:** Water Tribe

 **Category:** Themed - Hope

 **Prompt:** Humming

 **Word Count:** 1084

 **Warning:** Contains a rather intense scene at the beginning in which a character is in mortal danger.

* * *

Katara didn't know what was happening until it was far too late. When Gran-Gran sat down suddenly, clutching at her head, Katara thought it was just one of her usual migraines and pulled out her water, since her bending could often ease the pain. If it wasn't a migraine, it could just be a headache brought on by dehydration, so water would help then, too. But Gran-Gran was shaking her head and waving her away.

"No, no, I'm fine," she said, but something looked wrong about her mouth - the right corner was drooping down, slack, and her words were horribly slurred. Then she swayed where she sat in her chair and slumped forward, going totally limp.

Katara screamed. "Gran-Gran!" Frantically, she dropped to her knees at her grandmother's side, letting the water cover her hands and running it over the old woman's still body, desperately seeking the root of the problem.

Sokka came skidding into the room, stopping dead as he took in the scene. "I'll get Dad and Master Pakku," he said, meeting Katara's wide-eyed look with an expression that matched hers in terror. "And a healer," he added.

The healing water was drawing her hands toward Gran-Gran's head. Did this mean she had a head injury? Or was something wrong with her brain? Katara, though having gained plenty of experience healing during the war, had never seen anything like this.

"Katara!" It was her father's voice. Sokka, Master Pakku, and one of the newer Northern healers were right behind him. "How is she?"

"It's some kind of head injury," Katara said, hearing the panic in her voice. "I don't know- I've never seen - "

The healer dropped to her knees beside Katara, pulling out water of her own. "What happened?"

"She had a headache, and so I offered her some water, but she didn't want any. When she was talking, she was slurring her words, and her mouth - her whole face, actually - was drooping to one side."

The healer's face drew into a frown. "Move over," she ordered, moving her own water up to Gran-Gran's head. Katara drew back. The healer was concentrating hard.

"What is it?" asked Pakku, worried. Sokka was biting his lip, eyes wide.

"Stroke," the healer said, shortly. "There's a blood clot in her brain. I need to relieve the pressure," she added.

"I can help," Katara said, mind instantly jumping to bloodbending. The healer gave her a quick look and nodded. Katara moved to Gran-Gran's other side and focused on the feeling of blood pulsing through her grandmother's body. The healer worked on the other side, trying to stem the bleeding as much as she could with just the water she had.

Katara closed her eyes and felt through the arteries in her grandmother's head. There - one was blocked. She pushed at it gently, not wanting to hurt Gran-Gran further. It didn't budge. Furrowing her brow, Katara focused on the clot itself, willing it to dissolve and unblock the artery. That was more effective - she could feel it slowly giving way. _Faster_ , she thought, pushing harder - time was of the essence - and then the blood clot was gone, and she slumped back, exhausted. Such minute bending wore her down quickly.

The healer sat forward now, running her water over Gran-Gran's head. "You did it," she said, with a slight frown. "I don't know how, but the clot is gone." She moved her water over the rest of Gran-Gran's body, still frowning. Finally she stood. "Where is her room?" she asked, looking down at Katara.

"Down the hall," Sokka said, moving forward.

"Take her there," the healer ordered. Sokka carefully picked Gran-Gran up and carried her out of the front room. The healer turned to Pakku and Katara's father, sighing.

"Will she be all right?" Pakku demanded.

"She's no longer in danger of death," the healer said carefully.

"But…?" Hakoda asked, folding his arms over his chest.

"But the recovery process is a long and hard one," the healer admitted. "She may never fully recover."

Pakku closed his eyes. Hakoda's face had gone white. Katara put a hand to her mouth, a sick feeling rising up in her stomach. Gran-Gran might never recover?

"What can we do?" Pakku asked, voice rough.

"She'll have to see a healer every day. Her right side - it's mostly paralyzed right now. We can work on it, but she won't have the same mobility again. And speech… she may not be able to speak again, either." The healer looked sad. "I'm truly sorry."

o0o

Months had passed since that afternoon when Gran-Gran had collapsed. The healer had stopped by every day for the first few weeks, and Katara had hardly left her grandmother's side. She had woken the second day after her healing, and as the healer had thought, she was unable to move her right side or speak. Her whole family was heartbroken, but willing to help her to recovery. As the weeks passed, the healer's visits became every other day, then once a week. Gran-Gran was making extraordinary progress when it came to movement, and could now walk and move her right arm. But she could not speak, and had trouble communicating with signs - she often couldn't remember the names for things, so Katara would have to run through a list of questions - "Do you want water? Are you tired? Are you hungry?" and so on - to figure out what her grandmother needed.

Katara had become Gran-Gran's main caretaker, mainly since she was also a healer, and she was not trying to run the Southern Water Tribe at the same time, as her brother and father were. Pakku was supportive, always, but often had people seeking him out for help.

One day, Katara had helped Gran-Gran out into the front room and sat her down gently in her chair, then went into the kitchen, getting ready to make dinner. As she worked, she began humming absently, a little song she had heard in the Earth Kingdom.

She had been humming for a little while when she heard singing coming from the front room: an older woman's voice, singing the words to the song she'd been humming. Her eyes widened. Could it be - Gran-Gran? Katara darted out into the front room.

It _was_ Gran-Gran singing! Tears welled up in Katara's eyes. "Gran-Gran - " she gasped. Her grandmother, silent for these last months, was finally able to communicate. Her singing, a little raspy, a little wavering, was the most beautiful sound Katara had ever heard.

* * *

 **A/N:** This is actually a thing - some stroke victims cannot speak but they can sing and/or communicate with music. It's really fascinating - Oliver Sacks, a neurologist, has a whole book on the subject by the name of _Musicophilia_.


	7. Fireside Chat

**A/N:** Round Three

 **Team:** Water Tribe

 **Category:** Themed

 **Prompt:** Radio (World War II AU!)

 **Word Count:** 1167

 **Note:** So this is a WWII AU, in which the Fire Nation is the rough equivalent to Great Britain (think London Blitz), the Water Tribes are a bit like the United States, the Earth Kingdom is Germany, and the Air Nomads are the equivalent of France or Poland. The Avatar does not exist, or the cycle has been broken, either way. Oh, and On Ji is a Fire Nation girl from the episode where Aang goes to school, and Michi's (an OC) name is pronounced MEE-chee. "Heiwa" translates to "peace" in Japanese. I think that's it.

* * *

On Ji hurried through the streets toward her house, picking her way over rubble and splinters of wood, gripping tightly to her tin lunch box. It was nearly seven and growing dim; Earth Kingdom bombers could come at any second. The factory had kept her a little later than normal - some trouble with the machinery - and she knew her mother would be worrying.

"Better get home quick, girl," an officer in a blood-red uniform warned as he strode past her. On Ji simply gave him a nod and picked up the pace.

"On Ji? Is that you?" her mother's weak voice called from the front room as she opened the door.

"Yes, mama," she called back, setting the lunch box on the kitchen table and stepping into the front room. Her mother sat in her chair as usual, blanket tucked around polio-crippled legs. On Ji's seven-year-old brother, Michi, sat at her feet. "On Ji!" he laughed, and she smiled at him- a tired, weary, tiny smile, but a smile nonetheless.

"I'm glad you are home," On Ji's mother said, and On Ji saw some of the worry leave the corners of her mouth. When had she become so careworn? Well, she knew the answer to that question - when the Earth Kingdom had decided to conquer the Air Nomads. The Fire Nation and the Water Tribes had protested, of course - and so the Earth Kingdom had turned its attentions to them as well, making a draft necessary in the Fire Nation, it being the closest to the aggressor nation. That was where On Ji's father had gone, to the Earth Kingdom to fight for the Fire Nation. He'd been a volunteer, outraged at the invasion of the Air temples.

They had not heard from him in a month.

"Michi made soup for you," her mother was saying now, pointing back to the kitchen. On Ji managed another exhausted smile and ruffled her brother's hair.

"Thank you, Michi," she said. "I'll eat it later. We should get downstairs to the basement now, though. The Earth Kingdom bombers will be here soon. Here, Michi, help me," she said, lifting her mother to her feet. Michi fetched their mother's crutches from the corner of the room, and together they shuffled toward the basement stairs.

The loud wail of the air-raid siren sounded just as they reached the bottom of the basement stairs. "Michi, help Mama to her chair," On Ji told her brother, darting back up the stairs to shut the door. The muffled sound of faraway explosions, much too familiar, began as she put an arm around her little brother.

They waited in the basement for hours, until the all-clear sounded. None of the bombs had hit in their neighborhood, in a small town just outside the capital, but when On Ji looked out the windows, peeking through the blackout curtains, she could see plumes of dust and smoke rising in the distance.

"On Ji!" called Michi. "The radio! Fire Lord Iroh is going to be on soon!"

On Ji hurried back to the front room, stopping in the kitchen to snag the stone-cold bowl of soup Michi had made her. Every night, the Fire Lord would broadcast a radio program from his safe base. It was a conversational program, easy to follow, with the Fire Lord talking about the war effort and the latest news from the front lines - but he would also go off on tangents about tea, or musical instruments, or he would make jokes, or give advice. It was a modicum of stability in the uncertainty of war.

Michi passed the small wireless radio to their mother, waiting with eager eyes as she tuned it to the right station. On Ji sat down on the floor beside her brother, listening intently as the wireless radio in her mother's lap crackled to life.

" _Greetings from the secret hideaway of the Fire Lord,"_ came the warm and slightly raspy voice of Fire Lord Iroh. " _It is very dark this evening. I know we have just suffered another bombing of the capital - let us have a moment of silence for those who have been lost. Let them enter the Spirit World in peace."_

There was a pause. On Ji bowed her head, hoping none of the other factory girls had been hurt but knowing it was unlikely.

" _Our forces in the Earth Kingdom, along with those of the Water Tribes, are closing in on the strategic town of Gaoling,"_ Fire Lord Iroh began again, and On Ji lifted her head. " _General Hakoda of the Water Tribe informs me that they will have the town secure by tomorrow. In other news, the Air Defence Force had successfully beat back an attempted submarine attack on the Southern Islands. We honor their bravery and their duty to their country._

" _But we will speak of lighter matters for a moment,"_ the Fire Lord continued, and On Ji felt as though she could hear a smile in his voice. " _My son, General and Prince Lu Ten - if he is listening now, which I am sure he is - will be glad to learn that he is finally a father! My people, I am pleased to introduce the newest member of the royal family, Princess Heiwa. May her birth herald the beginning of peace for us all."_

On Ji's mother had one hand over her mouth, eyes shining. "A new princess," she whispered.

" _... I must say, however, that she does keep everyone awake at night,"_ Fire Lord Iroh was saying, chuckling a little. " _But this is good news. It means she is a strong, healthy child!"_ A pause. " _The realization has just sunk in - I am now a grandfather! Finally! My son knows this is what I have wanted since he was… well, I suppose I have always wanted to be a grandfather. Thank you, my son, for finally fulfilling my wish._

" _And thank you, good people of the Fire Nation, for your time and for your attention. I will make another broadcast at the usual time tomorrow night - for those of you just tuning in, the name of the program is 'White Lotus'. I will have more news for you from the front lines - and hopefully the news of the successful capture of Gaoling. But for now, I will say good night, and may the spirits watch over you."_

On Ji sighed as her mother passed Michi the radio to store away in its place. Something about those radio programs made the burden of being the sole provider for her family less of a burden. Something about them eased the fear of waking up in a bombed-out shell of a house, with her mother and Michi gone to a place where she could not follow. The White Lotus programs - something about them kept her from being overwhelmed by the horror that was her daily life, kept her sane, kept her grounded. They gave her hope, and they gave her a feeling - however tenuous - of security.


	8. The Interview

**A/N:** Round Three

 **Team:** Water Tribe

 **Category:** Drabble

 **Prompt:** Unique (This is sort of a modern AU? I guess? It was just super random…)

 **Word Count:** 443

* * *

The host's voice came through the loudspeakers, giving everyone a start. "Hello! I'm Joo Dee, host of Ba Sing Se's _hottest_ talk show, _Spice Grove!_ I'm here today interviewing the Avatar and some of his closest friends - whom many have begun to call 'Team Avatar'. Avatar Aang, how are you today?"

Aang blinked, caught off guard. "Uh… good! I'm good."

"That's good to hear!" Joo Dee said with an encouraging smile. "How about you, Master Katara? Sokka? Master Toph?"

"I'm all right, thank you," Katara replied politely.

"I am doing AWESOME," Sokka said with a grin.

"I'm - " Toph started.

"Blind?" Sokka suggested, then started snickering.

" - _bored_ , is what I was going to say, but that too," Toph said with a shrug. "How long is this going to take?"

"I understand Fire Lord Zuko and the Kyoshi warrior Suki couldn't be with us today," Joo Dee said quickly, before the interview got too out of hand. "Hard at work, I would assume!"

"Yeah, Suki's busy _running_ the Kyoshi warriors," Sokka bragged, a proud smile crossing his face. "Nothing like a busy girl - "

"And Zuko is running a country," Katara interrupted quickly, before Sokka could say something that would get him slapped the next time he saw Suki. "Didn't you have some… questions that you were going to ask us?"

"Of course!" said Joo Dee. Her smile never wavered, but Katara thought she sounded annoyed. "First question - or, challenge, really! Describe your friends to us - but only use one word."

"I got this," said Toph, with an air of extreme confidence. She pointed at Aang. "Fun." She pointed at Katara. "Emotional." Then she pointed at Sokka. "Idiot."

"HEY!" Sokka yelled.

"Emotional?" Katara asked, a dangerous edge in her voice.

"My turn," Sokka growled. "Aang: bouncy. Katara: hopeful. Toph: BLIND!"

Katara rolled her eyes. "Mature."

"I want to try!" Aang said. "Toph - independent. Sokka - he's a planner. Katara - gorgeous - " He broke off, blushing.

"Aw, so sweet!" Joo Dee cried, pouncing on the compliment like a starving hyena-monkey. "Katara? How would you describe your teammates?"

Katara considered for a little while. "Toph is a fighter. Aang is a peacemaker. Suki is a leader. Zuko is a teacher. And Sokka…" She paused.

" _Yes_ …?" asked Joo Dee, Sokka, Aang, Toph, and every person watching the interview.

"Sokka is … unique," she finished, a small smile crossing her face. "And he's also the best big brother a girl could have."

Toph started laughing. Sokka looked perplexed, as if he couldn't decide whether to be insulted or not.

"A career in diplomacy may be ahead of you, Master Katara," joked Joo Dee, her smile blinding as usual. All right! Next question…"


	9. This Doesn't Change Anything

**A/N:** Round Four!

 **Team:** Water Tribe

 **Category:** Drabble

 **Prompt:** Bleeding

 **Word Count:** 391

 **A/N:** The iconic moment (well, one of them) for all Zutara shippers from "The Southern Raiders" - slightly reimagined.

* * *

She heard the rumbling of rocks and heard a shout - "Watch out!" She was tackled from the side and she landed heavily, bruising her shoulder, someone on top of her. Arms tightened around her, and she heard a slight hiss of pain in her ear.

The sound of crashing rocks subsided, and the resulting dust tickled Katara's nose. She turned her head to thank her rescuer -

Only to see that it was Zuko. Her expression froze. "What are you doing?" she demanded, furious.

"Keeping rocks from crushing you," he said, like it was self-explanatory. She narrowed her eyes, thinking, _Yeah, right_.

"Okay, I'm not crushed, you can get off me now," she snapped, and he let her up immediately.

"I'll take that as a thank you," he muttered behind her, and she shot him a glare over her shoulder, only to pause. A thin trickle of blood was running down his face, opposite his scar, where a shard of rock had sliced his temple.

Her hands twitched. She couldn't stand by when someone was injured - especially not when they were injured because of her. But her desire to help was warring with the fact that it was _Zuko_. The enemy.

She'd been staring at him too long. "What?" he demanded, picking himself up.

"You're bleeding," she said, pulling out her water with a resigned sigh. Zuko's hand flew to the side of his face and he winced. "Here," she said, stepping back over to him and reaching out a hand covered in water. She refused to look him in the eye.

He held perfectly still as she pressed the water to the side of his face, and she couldn't help but flash back to the caves under Ba Sing Se, when she'd held a hand to the _other_ side of his face and offered to heal his scar…

But then he'd betrayed them.

The cut was nearly closed - it had been deeper than she thought - and she pressed her lips together tightly, anger returning as she thought over his crimes. "There," she said, stepping away, still refusing to look at him. "You'll be all right now." Her mouth twisted in a grimace before she could stop it.

"Katara - " Zuko started.

"This doesn't change anything, firebender," she said, giving him a cold glare. Then she spun on her heel and stalked away.


	10. Oh, What A Thing To Do

**A/N:** Round Four!

 **Team** : Water Tribe!

 **Category:** Themed - Completion

 **Prompt:** "Yellow" by Coldplay

 **Word Count:** 1294

 **Note:** Warning for some perilous situations and a bit of blood. (Sorry. It was necessary.) Lines in italics are lyrics from the most excellent song "Yellow" by Coldplay, which I do not own.

* * *

 _I swam across, I jumped across for you…_

One minute, Appa was skimming over the ocean, toes barely touching the water and Toph was sitting daringly on the edge of the saddle, grinning wickedly and saying something that made Aang's ears turn red; the next, Appa had been caught up by a strong gust of wind and Toph was no longer on the edge of the saddle - she was in the ocean and sinking fast.

Without a second thought, Katara dove off Appa's back after her. She heard a shout of surprise from behind her that sounded like Sokka, but she was too busy scanning the water for Toph to really listen.

She hit the waves and sank like a rock, bending a bubble of water around herself so she could breathe, following the trail of bubbles that Toph had left behind.

There! A small, pale shape in the depths, sinking speedily. Katara sent a jet behind her and propelled herself forward, grabbing the small girl's arm and changing directions quickly, heading for the surface.

Katara broke the surface of the water with a gasp as the bubble popped. Toph was unmoving in her arms. Quickly, she bent a platform of ice beneath them and laid Toph on her side. She focused in on drawing the water out of the younger girl's lungs, drawing it out as fast she could.

There was a large splash behind them, and Katara glanced back to see Appa swimming towards them.

Toph suddenly began coughing, and Katara slumped back on her heels, relieved. Then she reached out and helped Toph up to a seated position.

"Katara!" yelled Aang, a note of fear in his voice. "Is Toph okay?"

"I'm - fine - Twinkle Toes," Toph coughed, holding tightly to Katara's arm. Appa pulled up alongside the ice platform.

"Here," said Zuko, reaching down to them.

"Toph, we're going to pull you up," Sokka said, and the little earthbender nodded and let Katara help her to her feet, still taking in deep breaths. Zuko grabbed Toph's hand and hauled her into the saddle. Suki pulled out a blanket from one of the saddlebags and wrapped it around the younger girl's shoulders. Aang was hovering, glancing anxiously between the shivering earthbender and Katara and not being much use. Zuko pulled Katara up into the saddle, and she let the ice platform melt behind her. Then she bent the water from her and Toph's wet clothes, sending it back into her bending pouch.

"Let's find a place to land and get Toph warmed up," Katara ordered, and Aang sprang to Appa's head, snatching up the reins and steering the sky bison toward land.

* * *

 _I came along, I wrote a song for you…_

Sokka was sick - really sick. They'd been laid up for days while he went through chills, high fever, and bouts of delirium. Katara took care of him mostly, trading off with Suki and occasionally Aang for very short periods of time. It was clear to the rest of the gang that Katara might end up getting sick herself if she kept up this pace, but she waved them off when they tried to bring it up.

At night, she would sing a song that Gran-Gran had always sung to them when they were sick at home. She didn't have the best singing voice in the world, but it was from the heart, and Sokka always seemed to rest easier when she sang.

* * *

 _And you know, for you I'd bleed myself dry…_

They'd run into a Fire Nation regiment that morning, and they had managed to escape, but not unscathed. Toph had some nasty burns on her arms. Suki and Sokka had both received multiple cuts and burns. Aang was developing a black eye and a sizeable goose egg on his head. Zuko had fared the best of all of them, with only a couple of bruises.

Katara had received a mid-sized cut on her stomach, but she pushed down the stinging pain - _it can wait_ , she told herself - and went to go heal the others first, starting with Toph, who was trying the hardest not to show how much her burns were hurting her; then Aang, who possibly had a concussion under that now-fading lump; then Suki, whose arm had begun to bleed heavily; then Sokka, who sighed in relief as her water flowed over his burned palms.

When she went to heal Zuko, however, he caught her arm and gave her a stern look. "I'm fine. Take care of yourself first," he said, pointing to her stomach.

She refused to look down at it. If she looked at it, she would remember she had an injury there, and the pain would come rushing back in full force, and then she wouldn't be able to take care of her friends. "It's nothing. Just let me - "

"Katara, you've been bleeding this whole time," Zuko said, raising his voice a little.

She looked down then, seeing the red soaking into the blue of her shirt. "It's - it's just a scratch," she said, reaching for him again, but as she reached out, a wave of dizziness - accompanied by a burning pain from her stomach - overcame her and she swayed on her feet. Blood loss, combined with the exertion of healing so many people in a row, was taking its sudden toll.

Zuko grabbed her forearms. "Sit down," he ordered, guiding her over to a nearby boulder. Wincing, she did as she was told. The rest of the gang had realized something was wrong by this time, and gathered around. Sokka sucked in a breath. "Katara…" Aang's eyes were wide.

"What happened? How bad is it?" asked Toph, sounding more worried than Katara had ever heard her.

"It's just a scratch," she repeated, not wanting to worry Toph further.

"No," said Zuko, and he sounded angry, "it's _not_."

Katara blinked at him, surprised. With a growl, he grabbed her hand - the one that still had water hovering over it - and shoved it over the still-bleeding cut. "First rule as medic," he snapped, still sounding furious. "When you've just been in a battle, heal yourself _first_. Do _not_ just let yourself _bleed_ to death - " He stopped himself: Aang had gone very pale. Sokka was looking sick, but was also nodding. Toph was very still.

Katara swallowed back tears. She'd scared them all - even Zuko and Toph, the fearless ones; Zuko, whose fury had been to cover the fear - when her only aim had been to help and protect them. She felt the wound finish healing and let her hand fall. Sokka gave her a sharp look. Suki knelt down beside her and checked her stomach. "All good," she reported quietly. Zuko folded his arms over his chest, but his face had a decidedly relieved expression. Aang took a hesitant step forward and took her hand, pulling her to her feet.

"Come on, Katara," said Sokka, taking her other hand. "Let _us_ take care of _you_ for once."

"You're always sacrificing for the rest of us," Aang added. "Now let us give you something."

That evening, Suki made dinner, and Sokka did the dishes, and Aang and Toph did the laundry with Zuko's help heating the water. Katara sat by the fire, forced to be waited on - but she felt something that had been missing before in the group: a sense of reciprocity. No longer was she giving and giving and giving. Now it was more even - more complete.

As everyone dropped off to sleep, Katara stared up at the stars until she was no longer awake but dreaming, walking through moonlit oceans while the stars smiled down on her.

 _Look at the stars, look how they shine for you… And all the things that you do…_


	11. Roots

**A/N:** Round Five

 **Team:** Water Tribe

 **Category:** Drabble

 **Prompt:** Fire Nation Flag

 **Word Count:** 322

Toph said she'd left her family and her old life behind, but Katara knew she kept a small piece of cloth, a scrap, really, embroidered in raised thread with her family's crest. Toph would pull it out sometimes, at night when she thought no one was looking, running calloused fingers over the smooth fabric.

Sokka insisted he wasn't homesick, but Katara saw the times when the distant look would come into his eyes as he gazed out over the sea and knew he was thinking of the South Pole, and Gran-Gran, and their father. She knew, because she felt it too.

Aang held on to any vestige of his people, any trace of the Air Nomads, which got them into trouble sometimes. They were all willing to forgive, however, because the loss of one's people was a tragedy and they could not imagine it happening to them.

Suki was torn between two worlds - the world of the Avatar and the world of her warriors, and though she tried to reconcile the two, it didn't always work. Katara knew she felt left out sometimes, when someone brought up an adventure that she hadn't been present for, because that was when Suki's grip would tighten on her fans and she would turn away slightly.

Zuko claimed he'd turned his back on his father and his country. Katara knew only one of these was true; he may have finally turned away from his father, but it was not so easy to turn away from your homeland - and he cared about his country, she knew it. He wouldn't be so concerned with restoring balance if he didn't. That, and the small Fire Nation flag he kept rolled up in his bag. Katara often wanted to mention how similar he and Toph were.

They all put up a front of implacability and detachment, but none of them had truly forgotten or left behind where they were from.


	12. Party Time

**A/N:** Round Five

 **Team:** Water Tribe

 **Category:** Themed - Temptation

 **Prompt:** Party

 **Word Count:** 1149

* * *

"Remind me why we're doing this again?" Zuko grumbled, as he watched what seemed like the entire population of Ember Island stream through the gates of the Fire Lord's summer retreat. Most people paused a few feet into the courtyard, taking in the extensive (and new) gardens, the fountains, the softly glowing lanterns strung above their heads.

"Because it's good publicity and you wanted to show the people you were a different Fire Lord than your father - less closed off," Katara told him with a friendly punch to the arm.

"Plus," Aang added, "your people have a whole century of partying to make up for!" He grinned widely. The Avatar loved a party.

"And don't forget - " But Sokka stopped speaking as Toph came into view, changing his tone instantly. "Heeeey, Toph! How's it going?"

Toph stared at him blankly. Well, more blankly than usual. "I'm fine," she said, sounding slightly confused.

"Great! That's great!" Sokka continued, as Katara buried her face in her hands behind him. "Just checking. Um… You want to go get some food?" he asked, grabbing the smaller girl's arm and pulling her away from the group. "Aang, you come too," he ordered.

Toph let the two boys lead her toward the food table, but the expression on her face told Katara she was _very_ confused.

"Could they be any more _obvious_ that there's something going on?" Zuko wondered aloud.

"Probably not," Katara said with a shrug. "But now we have time to make sure everything's… ready," she said, smiling secretively.

o0o

Something was up. Toph knew it. All her friends were acting weird around her, and Sokka and Aang seemed to have made it their mission to keep her away from the back courtyard of the Ember Island house.

So, of course, that's where she was headed. As soon as she could ditch Twinkle Toes and Snoozles.

o0o

It was nearly ten o'clock, and Toph could sense the difference in Sokka and Aang's vibrations - they seemed on edge, anticipating. _What_ was going on? She hadn't seen Katara, Zuko, or Suki for the last half hour.

They were probably in the back courtyard that Sokka and Aang were so intent on keeping her away from.

Finally, Toph couldn't take the not knowing anymore. She was standing with Sokka and Aang near the edge of the dance floor, so she sent a pulse of earthbending through the stone

floor, knocking several dancers off their feet - the perfect distraction. When Sokka and Aang looked over at the fallen dancers, startled, she bent a layer of earth over their feet, sticking them to the ground, and zipped away before they could realize what she'd done.

Now she could see what was in that back courtyard! Then a thought occurred to her. There was probably a _reason_ why they didn't want her back there. Maybe they'd turned it into a swimming pool and didn't want her to fall in - which was dumb, because she'd be able to _feel_ it there. _Duh_. She couldn't think of anything that could be in the back courtyard that would be a safety hazard for her, but her friends were overprotective like that sometimes…

She was sure it'd be fine if she just checked it out.

o0o

"Got everything in place?" asked Katara, as Zuko put the finishing touches on the table. He looked it over with a critical eye.

"I think we're good," he concluded. "Just need the cake."

 _Cake?_ Toph thought, from where she was listening. _Why are they keeping a cake a secret?_

The courtyard had honestly been a bit of a letdown - the only things there were a bunch of tables and Katara and Zuko, who were obviously setting up - something.

"I'll go get it," Katara said now, and her footsteps moved toward the house.

"GUYS!" came Sokka's yell, and Katara and Zuko both froze. Toph sighed. Her distraction hadn't lasted too long - but she supposed it was her fault, for letting Twinkle Toes get so good at earthbending.

"Sokka, what is it?" Katara asked, alarm in her voice.

"Toph - ditched us - " he panted. He sounded as though he'd been running. Toph smirked to herself. She was hidden well, and Aang wasn't a good enough earthbender to sense where she was.

"Well, she's going to be around here, then," Katara said, and Toph froze. _How'd she know?_

"Obviously," Sokka said, seemingly having regained his breath. "She wouldn't _leave_ the house."

"No, I mean she'll be around this courtyard," Katara explained with a touch of asperity in her voice. Toph could almost hear her eye roll.

"How do you know?" Sokka demanded.

" _Because_ ," Zuko interjected, "you guys have been _very obviously_ keeping her away from here all night, and she's going to want to know what's going on back here that she can't see."

"Wow," Toph said, coming out of her hiding place. "Sounds like I'm getting predictable. Not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing," she mused.

"There you are!" Aang said. He sounded relieved.

"You know, I don't appreciate having my feet stuck to the ground!" Sokka told her, sounding extremely irritated. Toph smirked.

"Eh, I knew Twinkle Toes would sort you out."

"Not before I fell on my face!" Sokka said furiously.

"And I missed it? Darn," Toph pouted.

"You're impossible," Sokka huffed. Toph only grinned.

"So, seriously, you guys," she said. "What's the big deal?"

There was a moment of silence. Toph imagined they were all looking at each other awkwardly.

There was a sigh. "I suppose she's forced our hand," Katara said.

"Looks like it," Aang agreed, but it sounded like he was smiling.

" _Happy Birthday, Toph!_ " all her friends chorused, and Toph felt her eyes widen.

"But - but I didn't even tell you guys - and - and - " The little earthbender was lost for words. She felt arms go around her and give her a hug - Katara.

"Iroh told us - he said you'd mentioned it to him once, and we figured we should throw you a party!"

"But we wanted to surprise you," Aang added, and Toph could hear his grin. "So we made Zuko do _this_ party to cover for us setting up _your_ party!"

"The things I do for you," Zuko grumbled, but Toph could tell he didn't mean it.

"And we even made you a cake," Sokka interjected. "It's really good, too," he added, and his voice sounded muffled.

There was the sound of a slap. "Sokka! Let the birthday girl eat the cake first!" came Katara's scandalized.

Toph was still overwhelmed. Her parents had never made a big deal of her birthday, having essentially hidden her existence for most of her life. This was - unexpected. She cleared her throat.

"You guys are the best," she said. Then she immediately folded her arms over her chest. "And I'm never saying that again, so better savor it!"

"Want some cake, Toph?" asked Sokka.


	13. Persistence, part I

**A/N:** Round Six

 **Team:** Water Tribe

 **Category:** Themed - Ambition

 **Prompt:** Greek Mythology AU

 **Word Count:** 2893 (Hey, this is my longest themed one yet! Cool!)

 **Note:** This is based on the myth of Eros and Psyche, which is actually where the story of "Beauty and the Beast" has its roots. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend the Percy Jackson version from _Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes_ \- it's pretty great. But anyway.

 **Basic rundown:** So Psyche is this beautiful princess. She's so beautiful, in fact, that people start to worship her instead of Aphrodite (Greek goddess of love). This (naturally) makes Aphrodite quite angry and so she sends her son Eros (aka Cupid, but don't think 'chubby baby dude with wings'. He's supposed to be pretty hot) to make Psyche fall in love with a monster. Eros ends up falling in love with Psyche and takes her to his palace instead. They get married (kind of) but Eros only visits Psyche under cover of darkness, and tells her she can never see his true face. She holds out for a while, but her curiosity and doubt get the better of her and she looks at him one night. But the wax from her candle falls on his shoulder and wakes him up, and he curses her and flies away. (She wins him back eventually by completing a bunch of impossible tasks given to her by Aphrodite, gaining back Eros' respect.)

* * *

At least when there was a Fire Nation delegation there was a change in cuisine, Katara reflected. Her father usually tried to impress the Fire Nation more than the others, seeing as they were the wealthiest of the four nations. At least the Fire Nation delegations didn't call her the 'Spirit of Water herself' like some of her own people did. The attention - and the near-sacrilege - made her uncomfortable. Yes, she was a very good waterbender. Yes, her father used that to his advantage, to gain influence for the Southern Water Tribe. But that didn't mean people should say that she was the reincarnation of the Spirit of Water. That was asking for trouble.

"So this is your daughter," the Fire Nation ambassador was saying, like he didn't already know all about her. "I saw her bending earlier today. She is as powerful as she is beautiful, Chief Hakoda. You should be proud."

Inwardly, Katara rolled her eyes, but she kept a smile on her face.

"Oh, I am, Ambassador Kuzon," her father replied with a smug grin.

"By Agni, I daresay she is the most powerful bender in the world!" the ambassador went on. Katara flinched. She wished he hadn't invoked the name of a spirit - she'd been trying to avoid the attention of the Spirit World.

o0o

In the Spirit World, Agni, Spirit of Fire, was reading in his palace when he heard his name invoked in the mortal world. Curious, he decided to listen to the rest of the sentence.

" _... I daresay she is the most powerful bender in the world!"_

Well. _Who_ was the most powerful bender in the world? This he had to hear. He cocked his head, listening intently now to the conversation.

" _Tui and La have outdone themselves - truly, your daughter is blessed._ "

Agni bit back a snarl. Tui and La - those pathetic excuses for spirits that had given up their spirit forms to be with _mortals_ \- why would any self-respecting Fire Nation man be talking about them?

Wait. " _Truly, your daughter is blessed._ " That was what the man had said. The most powerful bender in the world… was a woman? The mention of Tui and La… she was a _waterbender_?

"Zuko!" Agni roared.

His son arrived in the library within seconds. "You called, Father?" he said, bowing.

Agni's fiery eyes glowed with anger. "Have you heard of this upstart waterbender who calls herself the greatest bender in the world and has deceived the rest of the nations into believing it?"

Zuko frowned. "I can't say I have, Father."

"No matter. I want you to go humble her. Understood?"

"Yes, Father," the handsome spirit said.

"Then go," the Spirit of Fire ordered. "I have some business with the Avatar."

o0o

Avatar Roku stood in the center of the council room, face stern, red robes a sharp contrast to the blue-clad councilmen. "Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe," he announced in a deep yet raspy voice, "I bring a message. You have angered many in the Spirit World with your claims that your daughter is the greatest bender in the world. Therefore I must pronounce this punishment for her: she will face a monster that even the great ones of the Spirit World fear. One week from today she must climb the great ice cliffs at the edge of the sea and there wait for her doom."

Silence reigned in the council room. Hakoda had gone pale with shock. Roku waited patiently for a response, hands folded serenely in front of him.

"I am supposed to sacrifice my daughter to a monster even the great spirits fear?" Hakoda said, finally. The rest of the council began murmuring amongst themselves, shooting glances at Katara that they thought she didn't notice. She'd been summoned as soon as the Avatar had arrived, and had entered just as he was pronouncing her doom.

"Yes," said Roku.

"And if I refuse?" Katara's father asked.

"Then your entire nation will pay the price for your pride, and feel the spirits' wrath," the Avatar said, and his voice had the rumble of distant thunder.

"Father, I'll do it," Katara said, stepping forward.

"What did you say?" Hakoda asked slowly.

"I'll go to the ice cliffs and wait for the monster," she repeated.

"Katara, this is a monster that the _spirits_ fear! How can you agree to face it?" her father cried, incredulous.

"It's that or our nation is destroyed," she replied calmly. "Nothing you say is going to change my mind, Father. I will never turn my back on people who need me."

Hakoda stared at her, mouth opening and shutting as he tried to think of an argument that would keep her from going. Katara waited.

Finally, her father gave a defeated sigh. "It seems we have no other choice," he said heavily. "It shall be as you say, Avatar."

"The spirits honor your sacrifice," Roku said, bowing first to Katara, then to Hakoda. Then he turned on a heel and strode out of the council room without being dismissed.

"This council is adjourned," Hakoda said, still sounding as though he was in shock. "Come, Katara. We'll need to tell your grandmother."

o0o

Now, Katara had no intention of going quietly. If something _did_ come for her on top of the cliffs, she'd pull out a water whip and send it back to the Spirit World. If she couldn't defeat it, she'd die fighting. What she wouldn't do was stand idly by while her people were in danger because of her. She began training hard, harder than ever before, and her audiences watched with pity, never suspecting she had a plan.

o0o

A week passed alarmingly fast, and the day Katara was to meet the monster dawned bright and bitterly cold. At the base of the cliffs, Katara bowed to her father, hastily embraced Gran-Gran and Sokka, bowed to Avatar Roku, then began climbing the stairs cut into the icy side of the cliffs.

The wind grew stronger as she climbed, tugging at her clothes, pushing at her legs, but she soldiered on. Finally, after about an hour, she reached the bare, flat top of the ice cliffs. She looked down and quickly looked back up again - the people looked no larger than ants; the ocean stretched endlessly below her, dotted with icebergs as far as she could see.

The wind was howling now, so strong she had to struggle to stay on her feet. In a flash of inspiration, she bent ice around her boots, securing herself to the ground. The wind blew harder, finally forcing her to her knees. When would the monster come? Perhaps Roku had been lying. Perhaps she would just freeze to death, alone atop the cliffs.

If possible, the wind was blowing even harder now. Her feet began to ache where the ice was digging into her boots. She finally bent the ice off of them and was immediately shoved feet-first towards the edge of the cliff by the full force of the wind. She scrabbled for a hold, but the ice was bare and smooth, and her gloves were clumsy and bulky. She was forced, inexorably, to the edge of the cliff by the wind. She could only imagine what it looked like to the people below.

She was nearly to the edge. Desperate now, she tried to stop herself by bending handholds to grab onto, but her gloves would always slip. She felt her feet go off into empty space and stopped resisting. The wind seemed to howl in triumph as she slid off the cliff, heading straight for the unforgiving ocean below.

o0o

Katara, as she fell, was too panicked to even think of bending - all she could think was _Tui and La, I'm falling -_

And suddenly, she wasn't falling anymore - but she hadn't hit the water, either. She was… flying? Yes, flying, skimming alongside the edge of the cliffs, the wind carrying her farther and farther away from her people.

"What - in the name - of all that is holy - is going on?" she wheezed, heart still racing.

 _Hello, little one,_ a voice in the wind said.

"Who are you?" Katara gasped.

 _I am Vaayu, Spirit of Air_ , the voice said, sounding amused. _You've made a friend in the Spirit World, it seems, and I owe him a favor - so you are being rescued._

"Owe who a favor?" But the wind was silent.

After a bit, Katara began to relax, trusting the wind to hold her up. They were still traveling over the ocean, but the familiar chunks of ice were becoming less and less frequent.

"Where are we going?" Katara called to the air spirit.

 _The house of my friend - and yours,_ Vaayu replied, that tone of amusement still in its voice. _I can see why he wanted you to live._

"Excuse me?" she demanded. She thought she heard a soft chuckle, but again, the wind didn't reply. She tossed her head, irritated, then caught sight of land, far in the distance but fast approaching.

"Is that the Earth Kingdom?" she asked, fascinated. She'd never left the South Pole before.

 _No, little one,_ the spirit replied. _We are nearing the entrance to the Spirit World. We will be there soon._

Katara bit her lip, suddenly nervous. Who was this "friend" Vaayu kept talking about? Why had he rescued her from the monster?

Or maybe this "friend" was the monster.

The air spirit set her down gently in the middle of a lush garden, a pond directly in front of her.

 _The house is just past the pond,_ the wind said, dying down to a light breeze that brushed softly against her cheek, as if the air spirit were trying to comfort her. _And don't worry, little one. You have no reason to fear._ The wind picked up again, and Katara knew Vaayu was gone. Taking a deep breath, she refilled her bending pouch from the pond, then headed toward the house. It came into view instantly, towering over her, probably five or six stories tall. It was massive, painted red with golden eaves. Dragons adorned each corner of the roof.

Warily, Katara approached, glancing about as she did. This felt like a trap - it was much too quiet. And yet, the door was open.

She made it up the stairs to the porch and nothing had jumped out at her yet. Perhaps the owner of the house - Vaayu's "friend" - _wanted_ her to come in.

"Well," she whispered, "here goes nothing." She stepped inside the mansion.

The door shut behind her. Katara whirled around, pulling some water from her pouch, but there was no one there. Swallowing, she turned and continued to walk down the hall, keeping her water out and in her hand. There was a door on her left, which she opened slowly. It was just a closet, with shelves full of woven baskets. Curious, she put the water back into her pouch and opened one of the ones on the lowest shelf.

She gasped. The basket was filled to the brim with all sorts of gems that sparkled merrily at her. She stumbled back from the basket, gems spilling all over the floor. What _was_ this place?

"Careful, milady," a girl's voice said from behind her.

Katara turned, but again, no one was there. "Who - what - " she stammered.

"Forgive me, milady. I didn't mean to startle you. All of us servants are invisible, so we don't interfere with you." As she watched, the gems started moving back into the basket, as if they were being picked up by invisible hands.

"Excuse me," Katara said after a moment. "But do you know why I'm here?" She kept her voice polite. Invisible servants and a mansion that belonged to a spirit. What next?

"The master wanted to see you," the invisible girl replied.

"Who's 'the master'?" Katara asked, frowning.

"The lord of this house and a great spirit of the Fire Nation."

"What's his name?" Katara asked. The servant girl didn't reply.

Katara huffed, annoyed. Why couldn't any of these people give her a straight answer?

"The master will want to see you tonight," the invisible girl said, as the basket returned to its place on the shelf. "I can show you to your room, if you like - or I can show you to the dining room, or you could return to the garden - "

"I think I'd like to see my room," Katara said, interrupting before she was overwhelmed with options.

"Follow my voice, milady," the girl said, moving off down the hall. Katara hurried after her.

o0o

After dinner, Katara returned to her bedroom and sat down heavily on the large four-poster bed. This was _not_ how she'd expected her day to go. She was still wearing her bending clothes; the servant girl had shown her the closet, filled with gorgeous silks and rich clothing, but Katara had obstinately decided to keep her old clothes on. Besides, the invisible girl had said the master would want to see her tonight. If it came to a fight, she wanted to be prepared and comfortable.

Suddenly, all the lights went out. Katara froze, heart racing. What was going on? She heard the door creak on its hinges, then shut. Someone was in the room with her.

She felt the bed sink as someone sat down next to her.

"Hello." It was a young man's voice, rich and warm and faintly amused.

"You're the master of the house," she said.

"I am," he said, simply.

A thousand questions bubbled up in Katara's mind, but the first one that came out was, "Vaayu the air spirit owes you a favor?"

He laughed, a low sound that sent a shiver down her spine. "Yes. Vaayu is an old friend of my father's."

"Who is your father?"

He sighed. "I can't tell you."

"Why not?" Katara asked, lifting her chin defiantly, then realizing how pointless the gesture was - it was totally dark in the room.

"If I say his name, it will draw his attention, and as I've gone to such lengths to hide this place from _everyone_ , I'd prefer not to have that ruined now."

"Is that why I'm not allowed to see _you_?" she challenged.

"Exactly," he confirmed. "I know it may seem overly dramatic, but trust me on this - the less attention from the Spirit World for you, the better. You're supposed to be dead, like the Avatar said. I had to pull a lot of strings to keep you alive."

"Why?" she breathed, shocked.

"Ah…" The master of the house sounded unsure of himself for the first time. "You didn't deserve to die," he said finally. "It wasn't your fault that you're good at bending, or that your father used you to gain influence with the other nations. I know you always tried to talk down the people who said you must be Water herself. You were always respectful, not arrogant. There was no reason why _you_ should face the spirits' wrath. Well, one spirit in particular."

"Is it Ag- " Katara was cut off by the sudden press of fingers to her lips. She blinked.

"You can't say his name," the young man warned her, his voice sounding much closer to her. "You'll draw his attention - especially here. But yes, the Spirit of Fire is… particularly angry with you." His fingers left her lips. She swallowed nervously.

"So I'm stuck here? Is that what you're saying?" she asked.

The master of the house sighed. "As much as I hate to say it, yes. Though there is plenty to do here. You'll have to explore this place - I'm not sure _I_ even know everything that's stored here."

Katara made a noncommittal noise, thinking of her home in the South Pole and the family she'd left behind. They sat in silence for a while. Then something he'd said earlier finally seemed to penetrate her brain. "Wait," she said slowly. "How did you know all those things about me before?"

"Ah…" The young man sounded embarrassed. "I was… watching you…"

" _Excuse_ me?"

"I had to know whether you were worth it!" he protested, voice growing defensive.

"Glad I met your approval," Katara muttered.

"I'll take that as a thank you," he shot back.

"For kidnapping me and terrifying me by having an air spirit drag me off a cliff? Thank you _very_ much," she snapped.

"Mortals," he growled. "So ungrateful." This statement made Katara pause.

"I'd almost forgotten you were a spirit, for a minute," she said softly. "Though I'll admit, I don't have much experience with them."

"I'm not your typical spirit," the young man said. "For one thing, I look completely human - "

 _I wouldn't know,_ Katara thought dryly.

" - which is unusual in of itself. I also spend more time in the mortal world than the Spirit World."

"Oh?" she said, but yawned - it'd been a _long_ day.

"Oh! Sorry! You must be really tired. Ah - good night, I suppose - I'll see you tomorrow night," the young man said, sounding flustered. The door opened, but the hallway was dark, too - she couldn't even see his silhouette.

"What's your name?" she called, suddenly realizing he'd never mentioned it.

"I can't tell you that," he said from the doorway, though he sounded sad.

"Well, I have to call you _something_."

"You can call me Lee," he said, and the door clicked shut.


	14. Persistence, part II

**A/N:** Round Six EXTRA STORY!

 **Team:** Water Tribe

 **Category:** Themed - Ambition

 **Prompt:** Greek Mythology AU, Spirit World

 **Word Count:** 2278

 **Note:** This is an extra themed story but it is a continuation of the previous chapter :)

* * *

Katara soon fell into a pattern. When she woke, she would go to the garden pond and practice her bending until one of the servants came and told her breakfast was ready. After breakfast, she'd either go to the library and study scrolls about the Spirit World or she would explore the mansion. Every time she thought she'd found everything, she'd stumble across a new hallway that led her to a completely different part of the house. Part of her suspected the house had no end, and was constantly updating itself to keep her occupied.

In the evening, she'd have dinner, then go to her room and wait for Lee. The lights would go out, and then they would talk until Katara was too tired to keep up a conversation.

Lee was funny when he wanted to be, full of dry wit and sarcastic asides. He was also full of knowledge about the most surprising things - he knew the most about the Fire Nation, but he would also tell her stories about the Earth Kingdom and the Air Nomads, which she listened to with fascination.

She often complained about not being able to see him, but as time went on, she began to care less what he looked like, what his true identity was, and more about what she could say that evening that would make him laugh, or finding some new fact that would surprise him.

She'd been there about six months when she realized she was falling in love.

o0o

One night, in the seventh month since she'd arrived at the mansion, Katara was silent, thinking of home and family. Lee tried to get her to cheer up, obviously sensing something was up, but nothing he said could change her mood. Finally, he gave up and asked, "What's wrong?"

"I think I'm homesick," Katara said with a wan smile.

Lee was quiet.

"I know I can't leave," she continued. "But I was wondering - could you bring Sokka here? Just for a short visit?"

"I'm not sure that's a good idea," Lee said reluctantly. "Could you trust him to keep quiet once he went back?"

"Sokka knows how to keep a secret," she said, conveniently forgetting her brother's tendency to blurt out anything on his mind.

"I guess Vaayu does still owe me a favor," he said slowly, and Katara knew she had him.

"Thank you!" she exclaimed, and reached over to give him a hug. She felt his arms go around her. After a second, she felt a soft laugh against her hair. She pulled back.

"What's so funny?" she demanded.

"Oh, nothing," he said, and she left it at that.

o0o

Vaayu deposited Sokka in front of the garden pond with a wild gust. Katara hurried forward to greet him.

"Sokka! You made it!"

" _What_ just happened?" Sokka gasped. Then he looked up. "Whaa… _Katara?!_ " His mouth fell open.

She smiled at him.

"But you - you're - you - " he stammered. He slowly got to his feet and walked toward her, setting his hands on her shoulders as if reassuring himself that she was really there.

"You're alive," he finally managed. "How - why - " He suddenly crushed her in a massive hug, which Katara returned.

"I'll tell you everything, but why don't you come inside?" she said when he pulled away, leading him up the porch stairs and into the mansion.

"So how are you alive? Are you alive? I'm not dead too, am I?" he demanded, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

She laughed. "Yes, I'm alive. I was rescued by the same air spirit that brought you here."

"Where are we?"

"The Spirit World," Katara said.

"So whose house is this?" was Sokka's next question.

She hesitated. Should she tell him about Lee? She didn't know… "It belongs to a spirit," she said finally, because lying to Sokka would make her feel guilty.  
"A spirit? Which one? The air spirit?"

"Not the air spirit; he's a Fire Nation spirit. But that's all I know," she replied.

"A Fire Nation spirit? Wait - _he?_ Who is he?"

"I don't know! I've never seen him, it's always dark - "

"Are you telling me you've lived here for - what, seven months? - and you don't know who owns the house you've been living in?" Sokka said, incredulous.

"He said it would be dangerous if I knew his identity!" Katara said defensively.

"He said - wait, you've _talked_ to him?" Sokka's eyes were practically popping out of his head.

"He can't tell me his real name; he just told me to call him Lee. We talk every night after dinner. He turns all the lights out first, though, so I've never seen him," she explained.

Sokka stared at her, his mouth open, meal forgotten. "Katara! How could you - he could be a monster!"

"He isn't! He's clever, and kind, and funny - and definitely not a monster," she said angrily.

"Katara, I know you only see the good in people, but this is too much," Sokka said, looking worried. "Don't you remember what the Avatar said?"

She did, perfectly. _She will face a monster that even the great ones of the spirit world fear._ A tiny bit of doubt began to worm its way into her mind. But Lee wasn't a monster… was he?

"I know he might _seem_ perfect, but he's a spirit, and spirits aren't always as they seem. This… this could be bad, Katara," Sokka said, still concerned.

Katara bit her lip.

"Here," Sokka said, reaching into his pocket. "I've got some matches. Keep them with you, and the next time the spirit shows up, use them to get a good look at him. I don't want you being deceived by a monster who can put on a pretty act. In fact, I'll stay with you - "

"No, Sokka," Katara interrupted, though she took the matches from him. "It's just a short visit. Vaayu will be back to take you home soon. But you're right - maybe I do need to be more careful. I'll - " Her voice broke as she considered the thought that Lee could be a monster, trying to trick her for some nefarious purpose. "I'll keep the matches, just in case."

All the tension went out of Sokka's shoulders. "Good." He stood up, and Katara did as well. He pulled her into another hug, holding her tight for a minute.

"I'm glad you're not dead," he said finally.

Katara couldn't help but laugh. "Me too," she said. "I've missed you so much."

Suddenly, a breeze blew through the dining room. _It is time for him to go, little one,_ said the voice of Vaayu. _He will be missed soon._

"Already?" the two siblings demanded in unison, then briefly smiled at each other.

 _Yes_ , said Vaayu.

"I love you, Sokka," Katara said, hugging her brother one last time.

"Love you too," Sokka said, eyes glittering with unshed tears. The wind surged up around them, and Katara was forced to her knees as the air spirit howled away with her brother. When she could stand again, they were both gone.

o0o

"How was your brother's visit?" Lee asked that night.

"I hadn't realized how much I missed him until he was actually here," she said, truthfully.

"I'm glad you could see him again," the spirit said warmly. "That was one of the things I most regretted - making your family think you were dead."

Katara had no response for this, and so they sat in slightly awkward silence for a while. Sokka's words were replaying themselves over and over in her head. _He could be a monster. Don't you remember what the Avatar said? I don't want you being deceived._

Finally, she faked a yawn and told Lee she was tired from her visit with her brother.

"Of course. I'll let you get your rest," he said immediately, and the bed shifted as he stood.

 _He could be a monster._

"Good night, Katara," he said from the doorway.

 _Don't you remember what the Avatar said?_

"Good night, Lee."

o0o

Katara stood with a lit candle in front of her, her back to the door.

"Katara?" She heard the door creak open, but she kept her back turned. "Katara, it's me - it's Lee."

She slowly turned toward his voice, keeping her candle in front of her. The light showed the dim outline of a young man.

"Who are you?" she asked.

The outline took a step closer but grew no clearer. "What do you mean? It's _me_ , Katara."

"Who are you?" she repeated, the candle trembling in her hands.

Another step closer, yet still he was just a dark outline.

"Katara," he said, sounding pained, "don't you know me? All this time I've been your friend - I thought you trusted me. Don't you trust me?"

"I - I do," she said.

Lee's shadowy figure spread his arms wide. "Then why are you afraid?"

A wave of calm swept over her. "I'm not," she said, setting the candlestick on the ground.

"Good," said Lee, and his dim outline began to coming closer - but he was _still_ only an outline; she couldn't make out any detail. "I was waiting to hear that." He was facing her now, only inches away, and the truth of his appearance finally struck her - he _was_ nothing. He was an empty void, a blank space, pure darkness. He grabbed her wrist, and it was as if her whole body turned to ice.

"Lee - " she gasped, before her throat seemed to freeze as well.

He let out a dark chuckle. "I'll enjoy consuming your soul," he said conversationally. "Getting you to trust me was the best part." Then the darkness that was Lee suddenly expanded, engulfing her as she silently screamed in terror.

o0o

Katara was still screaming when she woke up.

The door burst open. "Katara? Are you alright?" Lee asked, sounding frantic. She recoiled from his voice, pulling her blankets up to her chin.

 _He could be a monster._

"Were you having a nightmare?" he asked. She could tell he was sitting at the foot of her bed. "Do you want to tell me about it?" he asked, more gently.

"No," she croaked, terrified at the very thought.

 _Don't you remember what the Avatar said?_

"Hey," he said, and there was a touch on her shoulder. She flinched violently. "All right, I won't touch you," he said, still in that calming tone of voice. "But I'll stay here. I won't let anything get by me."

Despite herself, she began to relax. It was just a dream.

"I'll stay right here on the floor," Lee said from a little farther away. "If you need me, I'm right here."

Katara lay awake for a while, listening to the sound of Lee's breathing; it was deeper and more even, now. Was he asleep? Did spirits even sleep? Katara felt the small pouch of matches against her leg in her dress pocket. Now was her chance to settle her mind once and for all.

Slowly, silently, she pulled out the soft leather pouch of matches and lit the oil lamp that stood on her bedside table. She sat up and, lamp in hand, peered over the edge of the bed to where Lee slept on the floor.

He was breathtakingly handsome. Dark hair fell over his eyes. His smooth, even features seemed to glow slightly in the lamplight. He wore simple red clothes, but as he stirred a little, the light caught the flash of gold embroidery.

Katara's hand was shaking. She'd read enough books on Fire Nation spirits over the past months to recognize him - Zuko, son of Agni, a warrior spirit of the Fire Nation. No wonder he was concerned about his father. The Spirit of Fire was known for his contempt of the Water Tribes - and his fiery temper.

It seemed to happen in slow motion: her trembling hand finally upset the delicate balance of the oil lamp. A splash of hot oil slopped over the side and, as she watched, landed directly on Zuko's face.

Katara dropped the lamp, horrified; it landed with a crash near his head.

"My - face - " he groaned. Katara inched backward, away from the edge of the bed. "What happened?" Lee demanded, sounding more awake. "The lamp - " He stopped.

Katara held her breath.

"You looked." It wasn't a question.

"I - "

"You know who I am."

She sighed. "Yes."

He snarled, and all the lights came on. He stood before her, face contorted with pain. There was an angry red burn covering his eye from where she'd spilled the oil. "What part of _you can't know who I am; if you do, you'll die_ did you not understand?" he demanded, furious.

She stayed silent, unable to look away from his burned and blistering face. Why had she let Sokka's words instill such doubt in her?

He hissed in pain. "You - I thought you were happy here. I thought - we were friends, we - " His breath was coming in pants now.

"I can help - " she started, pulling water out of the bending pouch that lay on her bedside table, but he backed away from her.

"Don't touch me," he spat, and her hands fell to her sides helplessly. "Idiot waterbender! You've ruined everything! Why did you have to look?"

She couldn't reply. Her throat burned with the effort of keeping her tears back; they filled her eyes, and Lee wavered in her vision.

"The magic that held this place together is deteriorating," Lee said, breath hissing through his clenched teeth. Katara couldn't meet his gaze. "It's no longer part of the Spirit World. Get out now, before my father learns what's happened and finds you."

"Lee - " Katara managed.

"LEAVE!" the Fire Nation spirit roared.

Katara fled.


	15. Delay, Deny, Distract

**A/N:** Round Six

 **Team:** Water Tribe

 **Category:** Drabble

 **Prompt:** Gold

 **Word Count:** 631

 **Note:** Still related to that Greek mythology AU! That was a great prompt, honestly.

* * *

Zuko winged his way north, heading for the temple of Agni in the capital. His face still burned, even in his dragon form, with its scales of gold. He couldn't believe she'd doubted him like that. What had prompted her to look, after all that time?

Her brother. _He_ had most likely put the idea there. Zuko was filled with a sudden fury. The Water Tribe boy had ruined _everything_. He knew it would be a bad idea to let him visit, but it had made her so happy - he hadn't been able to say no. And it had been his downfall.

He landed heavily in front of the temple and shifted back into the Spirit World. The temple transformed into his father's magnificent golden palace, and he staggered inside. The pain of his burned face was making it hard to think straight.

"Zuko?" his father's voice boomed. "Is that you, son? Are you home at last?"

Zuko swore under his breath. If his father saw him like this, he'd have to explain how he was injured, and then the vengeance of Agni would fall on Katara - and possibly the rest of the Southern Water Tribe - yet again. He had to give her more time to get away. Her tear-filled blue eyes when she'd realized what she'd done swam in front of his face yet again. He dashed the image away angrily. He had to keep his wits about him.

"Zuko?" his father called. "Where are you, boy?"

He wouldn't be able to stall any longer. He set his teeth against the pain. "Coming, Father," he replied, heading for the dining hall.

Agni sat at the head of the table in his favorite form, that of a man made entirely of golden flames. The table was filled with all manner of spirits, from all over - except the water spirits, who were conspicuously absent.

As soon as Zuko's father saw him, every torch in the room blazed up a good two feet. The guests shifted nervously as they took in Zuko's burned features.

"Who is responsible for this?" Agni asked, deceptively calm.

"Katara, the waterbender," Zuko was forced to admit; lying to his father was impossible.

Agni's brow furrowed. "Didn't I send you to kill her?" Some of the air spirits began edging toward the doors.

"You did, Father," said Zuko. "I did not do so, however, as I felt she didn't deserve to be punished for the actions of her father and the actions of other nations."

Agni's countenance blazed - literally. The torches leapt higher. A few Earth Kingdom spirits began heading for the exits. "You disobeyed my _direct_ order?"

"Yes, Father," said Zuko, unrepentant.

"And this... _mortal_ burned your face?" It seemed that his fury over Zuko's disobedience would not trump his fury over the indignity done to his son. Unfortunately.

 _I'm sorry, Katara._ "Yes, Father," said Zuko.

All of the guests that hadn't fled the room did so now, as the Spirit of Fire's temper exploded.

"WHERE IS SHE? WHERE IS THE WATERBENDING SAVAGE WHO DARED TO ATTACK MY SON?"

"Father!" Zuko yelled. "She ran away. She's probably halfway to the Earth Kingdom by now." At least, he hoped she was.

"She was from the South Pole, was she not?" Agni asked, his anger settling but still seething just beneath the surface.

Zuko forced himself to sound disinterested. "North, South, they're all the same to me." As he said this, a sudden wave of dizziness washed over him, and he swayed where he stood. His father was at his side in a moment.

"Go to your room, son. You need to rest and heal," Agni said, helping his still-dizzy son out of the dining room.

"Yes… Father," Zuko said, as the golden halls of the palace spun around him.


	16. The Ba Sing Se Express

**A/N:** Round Seven (Final Round)

 **Team:** Water Tribe

 **Category:** Drabble

 **Prompt:** Express

 **Word Count:** 545

"Is this it?" Sokka asked, eyes wide.

"You were expecting something else?" Zuko replied, acerbically.

" _I_ was expecting something… smaller, actually," Toph muttered.

Aang grinned. "It's the best way to get around the Earth Kingdom in style," he said. "Why shouldn't it be big?"

"All aboard!" shouted the conductor, raising his voice above the bustle of the station. "All aboard the Ba Sing Se Express!"

"That's us," Katara said, herding the group toward the platform. "Ticket out," she reminded Toph, who stuck a hand in her pocket and withdrew the elegantly printed ticket. Not that she could see the printing, of course.

"This ride better be worth the two months of Teo telling us every detail," she grumbled.

"Well, he and his father are letting us ride for free, so I think you could be a little more grateful," Katara told her as they climbed into the train and found their compartment. The interior of the Ba Sing Se Express was richly carpeted and ornately decorated - there were even chandeliers hanging from the ceiling of each compartment. Clearly, the Earth King had spared no expense.

"They'd've let us on for free anyway," Toph said. "We're war heroes!"

"Even better - we're Team Avatar," Sokka added. "The Earth Kingdom practically worships us!" Katara rolled her eyes.

"How fast is it supposed to go?" Aang asked, nose pressed to the window already, though the train wasn't moving yet.

"One hundred and ten miles per hour," Sokka, Suki, Zuko, and Toph chorused, then shared a wry smile.

"Not that Teo hasn't told us twice a day for all those two months he and his dad were working on it," Sokka grinned.

"I… maybe wasn't listening that carefully?" Aang said sheepishly. Suddenly there was a long, loud whistle. "We're starting! Are we starting?" Aang asked, looking around frantically. Sure enough, there was a muted rumble beginning, and the train began to creep forward slowly, slowly, but picking up speed steadily. The station was quickly left behind, all the people waving the Ba Sing Se Express on its inaugural journey from the seaside town of Gangkou.

"I wonder if they have food," Sokka mused. Suki laughed.

"I'm sure they do," Katara said, smiling fondly at Aang, who had his face smushed up against the glass, eyes wide as the countryside rocketed past; the Avatar was clearly enjoying the ride.

The novelty wore off eventually, and the gang turned to conversation instead, recounting their adventures in the Earth Kingdom.

"Hey, remember that Chong guy?" Aang asked. Sokka slapped a palm to his forehead, and Katara laughed.

"Who?" Suki asked, curious.

"We ran into this group of nomads on the way to Omashu," Sokka explained in a muffled voice, face still buried in his hands. "The leader's name was Chong, and he was an _idiot_. They did all this singing… "

"Well, we did get to Omashu eventually," Aang said. "There were just a whole bunch of caves and stuff before then."

"How did that song go?" Katara asked, grinning a little.

"SECRET TUNNEL!" Aang sang at the top of his lungs, leaping to his feet and making Toph jump. "SECRET TUNNEL! THROUGH THE MOUNTAIN!"

"That was the one," Katara said, smiling now, as Sokka began to bang his head against the wall repeatedly.


	17. No Greater Love

**A/N:** Round Seven - Final Round :(

 **Team:** Water Tribe

 **Category:** Themed

 **Prompt:** #1 - [First line]

 **Word Count:** 1414

* * *

The sun set behind the mountain, casting a beautiful glow across the valley. _Only four miles to go,_ Katara thought, wearily. She had paused to catch her breath in a small hollow off the winding mountain road that led to the capital of the Fire Nation from overland. Night was coming fast, as it did in the mountains - already there was a chill in the breeze that hadn't been there before. She'd set off with energy and high expectations from their ship, which had docked early that morning, telling the others that she wanted to get a head start and that she'd always wanted to see more of the island than just the capital. Sokka, after a little bit of hesitation, had conceded - the Fire Nation was no longer enemy territory, after all. Aang would have gone with her but for Toph, who had convinced him to stay back, telling him that Katara probably wanted some time to herself after the week and a half they'd spent in close quarters on the ship together.

That wasn't the real reason, but it was one Aang would accept easily, and Katara made a mental note to thank Toph later. It _was_ nice to be by herself for a little while, though - no demanding siblings (not that Sokka was a bad brother - she loved him dearly - but sometimes he was a bit _much_ ) or fights to resolve ("That was my last piece of pepper jerky, Toph!") or endless show-and-tell ("Katara! Look at this! Katara! Look at that!"). She was just herself, able to enjoy everything: the sun on her face, the wind in her hair, and the knowledge that she would be in the Imperial Palace in no time at all.

At least, she'd thought it would be no time at all. But the sun was gone, the wind had begun to pick up, and she still had four miles until she reached the capital. Sighing to herself, Katara got to her feet. _Got to keep going_ , she thought, smiling wryly. She didn't like the idea of wandering through the mountains in the dark, although it seemed that was where she was headed, and quickly.

o0o

It was full dark, and Katara was beginning to think she was lost. Surely she'd gone four miles by now. The moon had made her graceful appearance, bolstering Katara's confidence - and her bending. The stars had made good traveling companions, silent sentinels, keeping watch for her in the night and unfamiliar surroundings. But the ever-present wind had soon driven clouds overhead, obscuring the moon's friendly face and the watchful eyes of the stars.

It seemed like it had been hours. Katara's feet ached. Her eyes were beginning to ache as well, from staring into the dark, straining to see the path ahead of her. Though the royal road was fairly smooth, she had still stumbled several times, especially when the moon disappeared. Her knees were scraped and scratched, she was sure - her palms certainly were. She didn't want to waste her bending water on healing minor injuries, however - what if there was an emergency?

 _I should have sent word ahead_ , she thought now, cursing her overconfidence. _Then Zuko would know to send out a search party if I didn't show up in the right amount of time._ Then she laughed. A search party? Worrier that he was, Zuko would probably come _himself_. She amused herself for a moment, picturing her friend out in the mountains searching for her in full Fire Lord regalia. Then she tripped over a tree root and nearly fell again, quickly ending that train of thought.

 _Did I take a wrong turn somewhere?_ Katara wondered now. But that was impossible - there _were_ no other paths or intersections on the road. Unless she'd somehow ended up going backward and was even now going over the same places she'd been hours before.

Logically, Katara knew this was next to impossible. But her fear, which had been creeping up on her since the time the sun had begun to set behind the mountain, couldn't let the idea go.

"Spirits," she grumbled to herself. "Why didn't anyone tell me this was a bad idea?"

"What was a bad idea?" asked Zuko, as she came around a bend in the road.

Katara shrieked and flung the entire contents of her bending pouch at him, as well as jumping at least a foot in the air.

"I thought you'd be _glad_ to see me," a drenched Zuko said, flicking his wet hair out of his eyes and glaring at Katara, whose heart was pounding with adrenaline.

"Don't _do_ that," was all she could say, breathlessly.

"Do what? Come up to meet my friends?" he snapped. Then he looked around. "Where's everyone else?"

"It's just me," Katara explained as her heartbeat settled into a more steady rhythm. "I… wanted to be early."

Zuko blinked at her. "So you walked all the way from the port _on the other side of the island_ , by yourself, all day?"

She nodded.

"Well," said Zuko, eyeing her with a bit more respect. Sheepishly, she bent the water off him and into her pouch once more.

"I thought I was lost," she said, as they set off down the road together, Zuko holding a tiny flame in his fist that wavered in the wind but never went out.

Zuko chuckled. "You almost made it the whole way by yourself," he told her. "We're only a few minutes away. I, ah - I knew your boat was coming in this morning so I was expecting you - I mean, not just you! I mean everyone. Anyway. I… might have been waiting… since this morning." He ran a hand through his hair with a rueful grin.

Katara couldn't help but laugh. "You'd think the Fire Lord would have better things to do," she said with a smirk.

"I took the day off," Zuko said, haughtily. Then he broke down and grinned. "Uncle said he would take care of everything while you were visiting."

"So you're free of responsibility?"

"For the moment," Zuko replied with a shrug. "It's actually been… pretty nice."

"I know what you mean," Katara sighed. She glanced at him. "Did you ever get tired of being the responsible one in our group?" she asked, mostly teasing.

"Did you?" he replied, raising an eyebrow. She looked down, biting her lip.

"Does it make me a terrible friend if I say yes?" she whispered, barely audible. Zuko stopped, looking down at her severely.

"No," he said firmly. "You - you're one of the best friends I have, Katara. My uncle - he has this saying: 'Greater love has no man than this: that he lay down his life for his friends.' You _do_ that, for all of us. You're always sacrificing for the group because you care about us. You - " He stopped abruptly. Katara was staring at him with wide eyes. "I'd say you do it… out of love," he finished softly. "And that's the opposite of a terrible friend."

Katara was silent for the entire rest of the trip to the castle, thoughtful. Zuko seemed a little embarrassed by his outburst, and stayed only long enough to see her to her room and wish her a hasty "Good night!"

As she lay in bed, trying to fall asleep but not quite managing, that saying of Iroh's kept echoing in her head. _Greater love has no man than this: that he lay down his life for his friends_. At first, she was tempted to dismiss the characterization of herself. _I'm selfish, I'm snappish, I'm bossy,_ she thought. _That's not love, even on a good day_. But as she continued to think, she slowly came to the realization that she _would_ give up her life for her friends - her family.

 _I'm not the only one, though,_ she thought, sleepily. _We'd all do it for each other. Sokka would protect us all until his last breath, if it came to it. Aang - he was ready to lay down his life to save the world. Toph has the rough exterior, but she cares, too._ In fact - Katara sat up, suddenly very awake.

Zuko had done that very thing for her. He'd jumped in front of a lightning bolt with no second thought, endangering his life to save hers.

 _Greater love has no man than this: that he lay down his life for his friends._

"No greater love," Katara said softly to herself, laying back in her bed.

* * *

 **A/N:** Because I had to end with Zuko and Katara.

Well, guys, this is it! Big shout-out to BetterYouThanMe, who set up and managed this entire competition (which was really fun). Shout-out to MaplePucks and Evangeline Douglas, my Water Tribe teammates who stuck it out to the end :)

And, on a final note, Iroh's quote can be found in the Bible, book of John, chapter 15, verse 13.


End file.
